HOW TO IMPROVE THE HACCP SYSTEM IN AN INTERNATIONAL TOURIST HOTEL GROUP? CAUSE-AND -EFFECT ANALYSIS AND PDCA APPLICATION

The aim of this study is to discuss not only what the difficulties are to be confronted when a HACCP is introduced into international tourist hotels, but also how to apply effective solutions to overcome these crucial issues.  In-depth interviews were applied in this study to analyze the case of Taiwan’s X international tourist hotels. Based on the outcomes of interviews, a fish-bone diagram was carried out to analyze the practical difficulties encountered in implementing the HACCP system. Next, with the results of the cause and effect analysis, strategies for different problems were developed according to the interviewee’s points of view. PDCA analysis is used repeatedly to develop strategies and recommendations. In comparison to current literature that only provides piecemeal exploration of the difficulties of introducing the HACCP system and the effectiveness of implementing HACCP, this study takes an entire system view into consideration and enables further practical analysis and solutions.

Attenuating effect of pretreatment with Yiqifumai on lipopolysaccharide-induced intestine injury and survival rate in rat

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Yiqifumai is a traditional Chinese medicine compound preparation used for treatment of microcirculatory disturbance-related diseases in China. We have previous reported that pretreatment with Yiqifumai could improve the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced microcirculatory disturbance in rat mesentery. The present study intended to investigate the effect of pretreatment with Yiqifumai on intestine injury and survival rate of the rats subjected to LPS challenge.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male Wistar rats were continuously infused with LPS (5 mg kg^-1body weight h^-1) via the left jugular vein for 90 min. In some rats, Yiqifumai 80 (mg/kg) was administrated through the left jugular vein 10 min before LPS infusion. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR) and survival rate were measured at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after LPS infusion. At 72 h after exposure to LPS, the intestine morphology was observed under a stereomicroscope and the immunohistochemistry staining of intestine was conducted to evaluate the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and the number of myeloperoxidase (MPO) positive cells in tissue. After observation of intestine microcirculation, blood was collected from the abdominal aorta of each animal to analyze the level of inflammatory markers in plasma, including TNF-α and MCP-1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to the control, LPS infusion significantly decreased MAP and the survival rate and increased the HR, RT and RR, as well as elicited leukocyte infiltration, intestine hemorrhage, enhanced expression of ICAM-1 and raised level of inflammatory markers. All of indicators, except for the RT, were significantly attenuated by Yiqifumai, in contrast to the LPS group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results demonstrated the potential of pretreatment with Yiqifumai to ameliorate rat intestine injury, inflammatory response to LPS and the decrease in survival rate caused by LPS challenge.</p

LrrA, a novel leucine-rich repeat protein involved in cytoskeleton remodeling, is required for multicellular morphogenesis in Dictyostelium discoideum

AbstractCell sorting by differential cell adhesion and movement is a fundamental process in multicellular morphogenesis. We have identified a Dictyostelium discoideum gene encoding a novel protein, LrrA, which composes almost entirely leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) including a putative leucine zipper motif. Transcription of lrrA appeared to be developmentally regulated with robust expression during vegetative growth and early development. lrrA null cells generated by homologous recombination aggregated to form loose mounds, but subsequent morphogenesis was blocked without formation of the apical tip. The cells adhered poorly to a substratum and did not form tight cell–cell agglomerates in suspension; in addition, they were unable to polarize and exhibit chemotactic movement in the submerged aggregation and Dunn chamber chemotaxis assays. Fluorescence-conjugated phalloidin staining revealed that both vegetative and aggregation competent lrrA− cells contained numerous F-actin-enriched microspikes around the periphery of cells. Quantitative analysis of the fluorescence-stained F-actin showed that lrrA− cells exhibited a dramatically increase in F-actin as compared to the wild-type cells. When developed together with wild-type cells, lrrA− cells were unable to move to the apical tip and sorted preferentially to the rear and lower cup regions. These results indicate that LrrA involves in cytoskeleton remodeling, which is needed for normal chemotactic aggregation and efficient cell sorting during multicellular morphogenesis, particularly in the formation of apical tip

A Wideband Printed Directional Antenna Array with Impedance Regulating Load

We proposed a broadband directional antenna array working at mobile communication frequency band, which achieves a relative bandwidth of 50.7%. This binary antenna array is fed by two branches of the balanced microstrip. To enhance the antenna bandwidth, we introduced a section of loading metal strip. The antenna prototype has a S11 lower than −10 dB within the 1.5 GHz to 2.52 GHz frequency band, particularly from 2.01 GHz to 2.50 GHz, the S11 is lower than −15 dB. The gain varies with relatively small variation within the working band, which is 5.4 dBi to 8.7 dBi

Value of reduced glomerular filtration rate assessment with cardiometabolic index: insights from a population-based Chinese cohort

Abstract Background Recent studies have suggested that cardiometabolic index (CMI), a novel estimate of visceral adipose tissue, could be of use in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors. However, the potential utility and clinical significance of CMI in the detection of reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of CMI in assessing reduced eGFR in the general Chinese population. Methods This cross-sectional analysis included 11,578 participants (mean age: 53.8 years, 53.7% females) from Northeast China Rural Cardiovascular Health Study (NCRCHS) of general Chinese population (data collected from January 2013 to August 2013). CMI was calculated by triglyceride to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio multiply waist-to-height ratio. Reduced eGFR was defined as eGFR< 60 ml/min per 1.73m2. Multivariate regressions were performed to determine CMI’s association with eGFR value and eGFR reduction, ROC analyses were employed to investigate CMI’s discriminating ability for decreased eGFR. Results The prevalence of reduced eGFR was 1.7% in males and 2.5% in females. CMI was notably more adverse in reduced eGFR groups, regardless of genders. In fully adjusted multivariate linear models, each 1 SD increment of CMI caused 3.150 ml/min per 1.73m2 and 2.411 ml/min per 1.73m2 loss of eGFR before CMI reached 1.210 and 1.520 in males and females, respectively. In logistic regression analyses, per 1 SD increase of CMI brought 51.6% additional risk of reduced eGFR in males while caused 1.347 times of risk in females. After divided into quartiles, people in the top quartile of CMI had higher adjusted ORs of having reduced eGFR, with ORs of 4.227 (1.681, 10.627) and 3.442 (1.685–7.031) for males and females respectively. AUC of CMI was revealed to be 0.633 (0.620–0.646) in males and 0.684 (0.672–0.695) in females. Conclusions Higher CMI was independently associated with greater burden of reduced eGFR, highlighting VAT distribution and dysfunction as a potential mechanism underlying the association of obesity with kidney damage and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The findings from this study provided important insights regarding the potential usefulness and clinical relevance of CMI in the detection of reduced eGFR among general Chinese population.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146138/1/12882_2018_Article_1098.pd

The Simulation and Experiment of a Non-Cross-Feeding Printed Log-Periodic Antenna

A non-cross-fed printed log-periodic antenna is simulated and studied experimentally. To avoid complex feeding with long coaxial line, the non-cross-feeding structure is applied in this antenna. The software CST Microwave Studio is employed to simulate the proposed antenna, and the optimized antenna model is obtained. According to the simulation results, the antenna prototype is produced and measured. Simulation and measured results show that the antenna is with S11<-10 dB in band of 4.2–9.2 GHz. And the radiation pattern and gain vary steadily in this band, which achieves requirements for wideband antenna. This antenna design can be extended to the design of the antenna integrated in communication circuit

Experiences of nurses involved in air ambulance service: A qualitative study

Introduction: Nurses undertaking air ambulance service encounter environmental, equipment, and personnel limitations during their work. Moreover, they must cope with various types of injuries and illnesses, as well as changes in patient conditions. These factors pose a significant pressure on nurses. Currently, there is a lack of qualitative research on the experiences of nurses performing air ambulance tasks. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of nurses undertaking air ambulance service, with a focus on capturing their personal perceptions regarding this field of work. Methods: Twelve nurses were selected using purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis identified three major themes: "Ambiguous and risky emergency missions," "Challenges during air transfer," and "Nurses’ personal limitations.” Eight categories were formulated within these themes, including "Mission uncertainty," “Urgency of medical conditions," “Hazards at high altitude," "Cabin environment limitations," "Inadequate equipment," "Incomprehensive operating mechanisms," "Physical discomfort," and "Recognition of professional shortcomings." Conclusions: Improving the performance and well-being of nurses engaged in air ambulance services necessitates the implementation of a psychological adaptation program. This includes the utilization of psychological stress assessment tools or engaging in role-playing activities. Successful patient rescues demand the establishment of comprehensive standard operating procedures, involving an interprofessional team. Supporting nurses in adeptly managing challenges during air ambulance services requires an expanded scope of education and training, facilitated through initiatives like situational simulation and similar approaches

The role of globular heads of the C1q receptor in HPV 16 E2-induced human cervical squamous carcinoma cell apoptosis is associated with p38 MAPK/JNK activation

BACKGROUND Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV 16) E2 protein is a multifunctional DNA-binding protein. HPV 16 E2 regulates many biological responses, including DNA replication, gene expression, and apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among the receptor for globular heads of the human C1q (gC1qR) gene expression, HPV 16 E2 transfection and apoptosis regulation in human cervical squamous carcinoma cells (C33a and SiHa). METHODS gC1qR expression was examined in C33a and SiHa cells using real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Apoptosis of C33a and SiHa cells was assessed by flow cytometry. C33a and SiHa cell viability, migration and proliferation were detected using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay, a transwell assay and 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA (3H-TdR), respectively. RESULTS C33a and SiHa cells that were transfected with a vector encoding HPV 16 E2 displayed significantly increased gC1qR gene expression and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK)/c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation as well as up-regulation of cellular apoptosis, which was abrogated by the addition of gC1qR small interfering RNA (siRNA). Furthermore, the changes in C33a and SiHa cell viability, migration and proliferation that were observed upon HPV 16 E2 transfection were abrogated by SB203580 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor) or SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor) treatment. CONCLUSION These data support a mechanism whereby HPV 16 E2 induces apoptosis by silencing the gC1qR gene or inhibiting p38 MAPK/JNK signalling in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81000251) and the Nanjing Medical Science and Technique Development Foundation